2 Winnipeg Jets named to Olympic hockey rosters
At least a couple of Winnipeg Jets will get to represent their country on sports biggest stage next year.
All of the 12 countries who qualified for next year's Olympic men's hockey tournament named the first six players to their roster, and two Jets players were among the initial selections for the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
Forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Niederreiter were both chosen by their respective countries, but goalie Connor Hellebuyck was not selected by USA Hockey after helping them to a second place finish at the 4 Nations Face-off tournament.
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Ehlers will skate for Denmark after getting named to its preliminary roster. Ehlers played for Denmark at this year's World Championship and also helped his country qualify during last summer's Olympic qualification tournaments. Ehlers days with the Jets appear to be numbered though as he'll become an unrestricted free agent in around two weeks time.
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Niederreiter was selected by his home country of Switzerland. The 32-year-old scored two goals in four games for Switzerland at this year's worlds in his third straight year at the tournament.
Ehlers will make his Olympic debut, but it'll be the second Olympic Winter Games for Niederreiter after playing in the last Olympics with NHLers back in 2014.
While Hellebuyck was not chosen, USA Hockey did not name any goalies to its initial roster and went with six skaters instead in Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy, and Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.
Canada selected five forwards and one blueliner to start it's roster. Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart were all chosen. It'll be Crosby's third Olympic games, while McDavid will finally make his long-awaited Olympic debut.
The men's Olympic ice hockey tournament begins on February 11.
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